EP1690233A1

EP1690233A1 - Device for dispensing a determined number of pre-printed tickets, such as lottery tickets

Info

Publication number: EP1690233A1
Application number: EP04791491A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ho Bao Quoc
Original assignee: Adequa Systems Sarl
Current assignee: Adequa Systems Sarl
Priority date: 2003-10-14
Filing date: 2004-10-08
Publication date: 2006-08-16
Also published as: US20070017978A1; FR2860903A1; WO2005038724A1; FR2860903B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for dispensing a strip (10) of pre-printed tickets, said strip comprising a plurality of score lines (11) defining successive tickets. The inventive device comprises a stepping motor (20) which is used to convey the strip (10) towards a theoretical cutting position using a determined number of motor steps corresponding to the number of tickets required. The aforementioned stepping motor (20) is associated with adjustment means which are used, if necessary, to adjust the position of the strip (10) from the theoretical cutting position to a correct cutting position. The adjustment means comprise: first memory means (14) which store the individual length of the tickets by counting the corresponding number of steps of the motor (20), second memory means (15) which store a characteristic motif of the tickets, and recognition means (35, 36) which recognise the passing of the motif as the strip (10) is being conveyed to the theoretical cutting position.

Description

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF PRE-PRINTED TICKETS, LOTTERY TICKETS IN PARTICULAR.

The present invention is in the field of machines for debiting pre-printed tickets packaged in a strip and more particularly relates to a device for issuing a determined number of such tickets, lottery tickets in particular. Machines are known for delivering pre-printed tickets, lottery tickets in particular. Such machines are equipped with an input console associated with payment means, for the selective issue of a determined number of tickets corresponding to a game chosen by the user from a plurality of games available to him. The tickets are packaged in strips, which are housed in the machine inside respective storage reserves, two contiguous tickets being separated from each other by a line of embrittlement of the strip. Prior to the use of the machine, an end ticket of the strip is introduced by an operator into a device for routing and separating the tickets, through an inlet mouth that this device comprises. The strip is conveyed by motorized drive rollers from the inlet mouth to a cutting member, in order to separate the tickets to be delivered from the strip along a corresponding weakening line. Then the tickets separated from the strip are sent to a delivery mouth for their withdrawal by the user. Detection means make it possible to count the number of tickets to be conveyed to the cutting member and to place the line of weakness of the strip in correspondence with the latter. These operations are in particular carried out by means of an optical sensor for detecting a mark that the tickets include, this mark being for example constituted by the weakening lines or by marks made on either side of the latter. To know a technological environment close to the present invention, one can for example refer to documents W09949418 (TICKET DISPENSERS PTY LTD) and AU5071093 (BROWN). A difficulty to be overcome lies in the rigorous relative positioning of the lines of weakness relative to the cutting member, all the more so as the tickets are liable to have a flatness defect depending on the external conditions, humidity and / or heat in particular. Such a possibly defective positioning causes a shift between the strip cutting line and the weakening line separating the tickets to be issued and the next ticket, with the consequence of a risk of altering the integrity of the tickets issued, and therefore of their validity. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for routing and separating pre-printed tickets packaged in a strip, which allows delivery of integrated tickets in a number corresponding to that required by the user, in particular from 'A positioning of the strip relative to the cutting member which guarantees a correct cutting of the strip strictly along the corresponding line of weakness, including notwithstanding a possible lack of flatness of the latter. The inventive step of the present invention consisted in placing the conveyance of the strip towards the cutting member under the dependence of first means of driving the strip towards a theoretical cutting position with regard to a determined number of tickets. to deliver, then if necessary second means for driving the strip to adjust its position from the theoretical cutting position to a correct cutting position, in which the line of embrittlement to be cut is rigorously facing the chopped off. More specifically, the strip is driven by a stepping motor to first drive the strip to the theoretical cutting position according to a number of motor steps corresponding to the length of strip which corresponds strictly to the number of tickets to be issued. During this routing, the scrolling of a pattern present on at least a portion of the ticket is detected by optical means, to check the agreement between the theoretical cutting position and the correct cutting position. This verification is carried out on the basis of a recognition of the integrity of the pattern which has passed, in order to put the stepping motor into action if necessary and to adjust the position of the strip in the correct cutting position. It will be noted that these provisions make it possible not only to prohibit a lack of correlation between the number of tickets required and the number of tickets issued, from a specific counting operation, but also to place the corresponding line of embrittlement strictly opposite on the cutting member, whatever the number of tickets issued and whatever is a possible flatness defect of the strip capable of altering its suitable position relative to the cutting member. It will be noted that a preliminary initialization step makes it possible to store, on the one hand, the length of a ticket of the strip for implementing the stepping motor with a number of steps as a function of this length and of the number of tickets to be issued, and on the other hand a sequence of marks together forming the pattern for the subsequent recognition of the latter when the strip runs. Furthermore, the weakening line being placed rigorously opposite the cutting member, it is proposed by the present invention and according to another of its aspects, to associate with the cutting member, preferably formed by a blade guillotine or the like, a mobile press for pressing the strip against a table prior to its cutting, preferably on either side of the blade. It will be noted that the means of mobility of the press are advantageously placed under the dependence of the means of mobility of the guillotine blade, to cause cutting of the strip as soon as the latter is firmly held in its plane. In addition, and in order to promote planar routing of the strip, it is proposed by the present invention to organize the intake mouth of the device into a hopper, in order to stress the strip in its general plane, prior to its swallowing by the drive rollers. The advantageous complementarity of the two aforementioned aspects of the present invention will be noted, which favors the issue of integrated tickets beyond the advantages that each of these two aspects provide independently, namely for the first counting and rigorous positioning of the weakening line. relative to the cutting member, and namely for the second a maintenance of the strip in its general plane and a reliable cutting of the latter, which is taken in a vice between the press and the table prior to the translation of the blade guillotine orthogonal to the plane of the strip. In general, the device of the present invention is a device for issuing pre-printed tickets packaged in a strip comprising a plurality of weakening lines successively delimiting the tickets. This device includes:

means of request by a user for the issuance of a determined number of tickets, comprising in particular a data entry desk and means of payment,

- means for driving the strip of tickets from an inlet mouth to a delivery mouth, which employ at least a pair of counter-powered motorized rollers for driving the strip therebetween, - a mechanism for section mainly consisting of a movable cutting member between a rest position and a position for cutting the strip along one of its weakening lines, - means for controlling the implementation of the motor of the rollers d drive and the cutting member, said control means being in relation to means for detecting the position of the strip relative to the position of the cutting member. According to the present invention, such a device comprises a stepping motor driving the rollers for conveying the strip to a theoretical cutting position according to a determined number of motor steps corresponding to the number of tickets required. This stepping motor is also associated with means for adjusting the position of the strip from the theoretical cutting position to, if necessary, a correct cutting position. These adjustment means comprise first memory means for the individual length of the tickets from a count of a corresponding number of steps of the motor, and second memory means for a characteristic pattern of the tickets. These adjustment means also comprise means for recognizing the movement of the pattern during the conveyance of the strip towards the theoretical cutting position. It will be understood that the control means that the device comprises for setting the drive motor for driving the rollers include in particular the first and second memory means, and the means for recognizing the pattern, in relation to relative calculation means. to the correspondence between the length of strip to be driven and a number of steps of the motor to be implemented. The pattern is in particular formed of a sequence of marks previously memorized by the second memory means. The recognition means combine, for example, a sensor for detecting the movement of these marks and means for comparison between the scrolling marks detected and the previously stored pattern. It will be noted that the recognition means which have just been given as an example are preferred because of the advantage which their simplicity provides, but that they are capable of being constituted by other similar means of image recognition, without for as well depart from the general rules of the invention which have been set out. The cutting member is advantageously a guillotine blade associated with a press movable between the rest position, in which the strip is free, and the cutting position, in which the press keeps the strip in application against an opposing table. The mobility of the press and the blade are preferably secured relative to one another to cause an application of the strip against the table prior to cutting the ticket. It will be understood that this subjugation is likely to be carried out indifferently by means of the control means and / or by means of mechanical connection means between the press and the blade. According to an advantageous example of embodiment of this securing, the means of mobility of the press comprise an elastic member or the like for a spontaneous holding of the press against the table against its lifting by the guillotine blade, or in a similar way to meet of its lifting by the latter's mobility means. The means of mobility of the guillotine blade are preferably means of mobility in translation orthogonal to the rest plane of the table, such as implementing an operating member of the crank-rod or similar type. The cutting edge of the blade is preferably toothing for progressive cutting of the solid parts of the strip lying between two successive weakenings of the weakening lines. The inlet mouth is advantageously arranged in a hopper or the like forming a ramp for guiding and holding the plane of the ticket strip towards the drive rollers. Preferably, the hopper is of pyramidal conformation and has movable side walls to adjust the width of the hopper to the width of the strip. An interactive game machine equipped with a device of the present invention comprises a plurality of reserves of specific ticket strips, to each of which is assigned a delivery device. The machine is also equipped with input and display means, or even printing. According to a preferred embodiment, such a machine is also advantageously equipped with means of interactive communication with a remote center, for recording at this remote center data relating to at least one game of chance selected by the user, and for recording and displaying the results of this game of chance from the distant center. The present invention will be better understood, and details will be apparent from the description which will be made of it in a form. preferred embodiment, in relation to the figures of the appended plates, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a gaming machine equipped with a ticket issuing device of the present invention. Fig.2 to Fig.6 are schematic views successively illustrating different stages of implementation of a device of the invention according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig.7 to Fig.9 are diagrams illustrating the implementation of a cutting member fitted to the device of the invention shown in the previous figures, in which fig.7a and fig.7b represent the section in the rest position respectively in front view and in side view, fig.δa and fig.8b show the cutting member at the start of the cutting operation respectively in front view and in side view and the fig.Θa and fig.9b show the cutting member at the end of the cutting operation respectively in front view and in side view. In fig.1, a game machine 1 is equipped with a plurality of devices 2 for the delivery of pre-printed tickets, such as lottery tickets. The machine 1 comprises a plurality of reserves, such as 9, of respective strips 10 of tickets, two contiguous tickets being separated from each other by a weakening line 11. It will be noted at this stage of the description that as is known in the art, the tickets of the same strip 10 are identical while they are likely to have different characteristics from one strip to another, in particular with regard to the nature of the strip, of the shaping of the weakening lines, geometric shape or dimensional characteristics of tickets for example. It will also be noted that each ticket of the same strip 10 comprises the same pattern formed from a sequence of marks, such as a bar code or the like, or even an image. In fig. 2 to fig. 9, a device 2 for issuing tickets comprises two pairs of drive rollers 17, 18 of a strip of tickets 10, including a first couple 17 placed in the vicinity of a mouth intake 12 and a second couple 18 placed in the vicinity of a delivery mouth 19, accessible by a user. The rollers 17, 18 are implemented by a stepping motor 20 and drive the strip 10 by friction between them to convey the latter 10 from the inlet mouth 12 to a cutting member 22, then to the mouth 19. It will be noted that the inlet mouth 12 is arranged in a pyramidal hopper to form a ramp for guiding and holding the strip 10 in its plane when it is introduced into the device 2. The respective implementations of the rollers

17, 18 and of the cutting member 22 are placed under the dependence of control means 21. The latter 21 are in relation on the one hand with optical sensors 32, 33, 34 for detecting the presence and / or the absence of the strip 10 in different zones of the device 2, and on the other hand with an optical sensor 35 for detecting the movement of the pattern of the tickets during the driving of the strip 10 towards the cutting member 22, for place the weakening line 11 to be cut opposite the latter 22. A first sensor 32 is placed in the vicinity of the internal outlet of the intake mouth 12, between the latter 12 and the first pair of drive rollers 17. A second sensor 33 and sensor 35 are aligned and placed between the first pair of drive rollers 17 and the press 23. It will be noted that the position of alignment of sensor 35 with sensor 33 is preferred, but that this position is likely to be relatively arbitrary between l e sensor 33 and the cutting member 22, according to the position and the length of the pattern of the tickets to be detected. A third sensor 34 is placed between the second pair of drive rollers 18 and the delivery mouth 19. During a loading operation of the device 2, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the operator performs operations prerequisites for memorizing on the one hand the length of an individual ticket of the loaded strip 10, and on the other hand the pattern to be detected, by means of memory respectively first 14 and second 15 that comprise the control means 21. The first sensor 32 detects the presence of the strip 10 through the inlet mouth 12, which causes the implementation of the rollers 17,18 to convey the strip 10 until its presence is detected by the second sensor 33. This detection then stops the rollers 17,18 and immobilizes the strip 10 awaiting a ticket request by a user, in the position illustrated in fig. 3. When the user requests the delivery of a determined number of tickets via an input console 3 and payment means 4 participating in the control means 21, the latter 21 cause the rollers 17 to be used, 18 for the conveyance of the strip towards the cutting member 22. This routing aims to place opposite the cutting member 22 a line of weakness 11 of the strip 10, corresponding to the number of tickets required. This position of the strip 10 corresponds to a cutting position, as illustrated in FIG. 4. This routing is carried out on the basis of a determined number of steps of the motor 20, as a function of the individual pre-stored reference length of the tickets, and as a function of the number of tickets required. It will be noted that the control means 21 comprise calculation means 16 for determining this necessary number of steps of the motor 20. It may happen, all the more that the strip length 10 of tickets to be issued is large, that the theoretical position of section in which the strip 10 is placed does not correspond to a rigorous position of the line of embrittlement 11 opposite the cutting member 22, and it is necessary to adjust this theoretical position for cutting the strip 10 towards a correct cutting position illustrated in fig.5 and fig.7. For this, the control means 21 also include comparison means 36 between the pattern previously memorized by the second memory means 15 and the scrolling of the pattern or patterns detected by the sensor 35 during the routing of the strip 10 for place it in the theoretical cutting position. On the basis of this comparison and if necessary if the detected pattern does not correspond to the identical with that previously stored, the motor 20 for driving the rolls 17,18 is implemented with a number of steps corresponding to the adjustment of the position of the strip 10 in the correct cutting position. In fig.7 to fig.9 more particularly, the cutting member 22 consists of a guillotine blade in relation to a press 23 mobile. The press 23 has a passage 37 for the circulation of the blade 22 through it, the latter 22 being in turn equipped with support members 30 of the press 23. The blade 22 and the press 23 are placed opposite an opposing table 27 against which the press 23 bears to hold the band 10 in vise before it is cut. Springs 28, 29 are interposed between the press 23 and the table 27, to spontaneously cause the lowering of the press 23 towards the table 27, against its support by the blade 22. The blade 22 is driven in mobility by a motor member 24 and a mechanism associated with connecting rod-crank 25, 26, between a rest position, in particular illustrated in FIGS. 2 and FIG. 7, in which the blade 22 and the press 23 overhang the strip 10, and a position cutting, in which the blade 22 cuts the strip 10, as illustrated in fig.5 and fig.9. The strip of tickets 10 being placed in the correct cutting position, the control means 21 cause the actuator 24 to operate the guillotine blade 22 to rotate the crank 25 and cause the blade 22 to descend This movement of the blade 22 releases a drive from the press 23 towards the table 27 under the effect of the springs 28 and 29. The blade 22 descends while supporting the press 23 via the support members 30, from the position rest until the press 23 is pressed against the table 27, on either side of the blade 22. This press allows the strip 10 to be taken in vice between the press 23 and the table 27, as illustrated in fig.δb more particularly. Then, the blade 22 continues its descent to cut the line of weakness 11 between two contiguous tickets, crossing the table 27 through a clearance 31 that the latter 27 comprises, as illustrated in fig.9a and fig.9b. It will be noted that the mobility of the blade by means of a connecting rod-crank device 25, 26 also allows an inclined attack of the strip 10 by the edge of the blade 22, which is toothed. The strip 10 being cut, the blade 22 rises from a continued rotation of the crank 25, and in its upward movement raises the press 23 to release the strip 10 and allow the issuance of tickets. The tickets to be delivered 38 being separated from the strip 10, the control means 21 cause the implementation of the drive rollers 17,18 for the routing of the tickets to be delivered 38 to the delivery mouth 19, as illustrated in fig. 6. The user having withdrawn the delivered tickets 38, the sensor 34 detects their absence and the control means 21 cause the implementation of the first drive rollers 17 in the opposite direction, to retract the strip 10 to the second optical sensor 33 and place the latter 10 according to the position illustrated in FIG. 3, awaiting a new ticket request. Returning to FIG. 1, it will also be noted the presence of rollers 13 for guiding the strips 10 from their respective reserve 9 towards the delivery device 2 which is assigned to them. Furthermore, the game machine 1 is equipped with the input console 3, payment means 4, a display screen 6 and printing means 5, in particular a receipt. This machine 1 also allows the user to participate in a telematic game of chance, selectable from a plurality of available games, from the input console 3 and payment means 4. The user having selected a game and entered the parameters of this game, these are memorized for their validation by the machine, after payment of the corresponding sum by the user. The printing means 5 allow the edition of a receipt for the user comprising the data relating to the validated game parameters and the corresponding payment. The machine further comprises telematic communication means 7, such as a modem or the like, for transmitting this data to a remote center 8, which on the one hand records the operations performed by the user, and on the other hand transmits results of games to machine 1. It will be noted that the display screen 6 makes it possible to view not only information relating to the various operations carried out by the user, but also the results of telematic games originating from the remote center 8.

Claims

1.- Device for issuing pre-printed tickets packaged in a strip (10) comprising a plurality of weakening lines (11) successively delimiting the tickets, this device comprising: - request means (3) by a user of the issue of a determined number of tickets, - means for driving the ticket strip (10) from an inlet mouth (12) to a delivery mouth (19), which employ at least a pair of Motorized opposing rollers (17,18) for driving the strip (10) therebetween, - a cutting mechanism mainly consisting of a movable cutting member (22,23) between a rest position and a cutting the strip (10) along one of its weakening lines (11), - control means (21) for the implementation of the motor (20) of the drive rollers (17,18) and of the cutting member (22), said control means (21) comprising detection means (32, 33,34) of the position of the strip (10) relative to the position of the cutting member (22), - a stepping motor (20) driving the rollers (17,18) to conveying the strip (10) to a theoretical cutting position according to a determined number of engine steps corresponding to the number of tickets required, - means for adjusting the position of the strip (10) from the theoretical cutting position towards a correct cutting position if necessary, these adjustment means comprising first memory means (14) of the individual length of the tickets from a count of a corresponding number of steps of the motor (20), characterized : in that it further comprises second memory means (15) of a pattern characteristic of the tickets, as well as means of recognition (35,36) of the scrolling of the pattern during the conveyance of the strip (10) towards the theoretical cutting position, and in that the pattern being formed by a sequence of marks, the recognition means associate a sensor (35) for detecting the movement of these marks and means (36) for comparing between the marks scrolling detected and the pattern previously memorized by the second memory means (15).

3.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized: in that the cutting member (22,23) is a guillotine blade (22) associated with a movable press (23) between the rest position, in which the strip (10) is free, and the cutting position, in which the press (23) keeps the strip (10) in application against an opposing table (27).

4.- Device according to claim 3, characterized: in that the mobility of the press (23) and the blade (22) are secured relative to each other to cause application of the strip (10) against the table (27) prior to cutting the ticket.

5.- Device according to claim 4, characterized: in that the means of mobility of the press comprises an elastic member (28,29) for a spontaneous holding of the press (23) against the table (27) against its lifting by the guillotine blade (22).

Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized: in that the means of mobility of the guillotine blade (22) are of the crank-rod type (25,26).

Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized: in that the cutting edge of the cutting blade (22) has teeth for progressive cutting of the solid parts of the strip (10) between two successive weakening of the weakening lines (11).

8.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized: in that the inlet mouth (12) is arranged in a hopper forming a guide ramp and plane holding of the strip of tickets (10) towards the rollers d training (17,18).

9. An interactive game machine equipped with a ticket delivery device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized: in that it comprises a plurality of reserves (9) of specific ticket strips (10), each of which is assigned a delivery device (2).

10.- interactive games machine according to claim 9, characterized: in that it is further equipped with input means (3), display (6) and interactive communication (7) with a remote center (8 ), for recording at this remote center (8) data relating to at least one game of chance selected by the user, and for recording and displaying the results of this game of chance from the remote center (8).